When it comes to driving the game forward In his own backyard, James Erskine plays a lead role, providing a gateway to golf for young people in Scotland.
Good things come to those who wait and, after several years of planning, preparation and proposals, the Dumfries & County PGA Professional has been rewarded for his purpose and patience.
Tireless in his efforts to spread the golfing gospel to a new generation in the south of Scotland, Erskine has received funding for a state-of-the-art practice facility which will accelerate his admirable endeavours.
The new additions to the Dumfries & County Golf Club landscape will include a four-bay driving range, four-hole academy course and a short game area. These constructions will utilise Huxley Golf all-weather artificial surfaces which will be a significant benefit during the depths of the winter.
It’s no surprise then that Erskine, who has been hugely instrumental in getting golf into the schools of his native Dumfries, is incredibly pleased with the developments.
“One of the issues we have in fostering young player development in Scotland is the quality of all-weather facilities available,” said Erskine. “Young kids struggle to get game time on appropriate courses to aid development.
“So, as a club, we are excited about this project as it will allow us to further develop our junior programmes. We have been delivering free coaching in the local primary schools, with our professional team providing coaching to over 3000 children in Dumfries.
“As a result, we are currently seeing strong growth in our junior section, which includes 30 hours coaching with membership from as little as £100 per annum for 5-13 year olds. These initiatives are all funded by the Children’s Golf Trust and the Stanley Morrison Trust, both of whom have been massive supporters of growing the game in the ‘forgotten corner’ of Ayrshire and the Southwest.
“The Stanley Morrison Trust, the club and several local businesses have donated generously to allow this facility to come to fruition. The really cool thing about the facility is that it’s exclusively for the use of junior golfers daily after school and they don’t need to be a member. This shows the club’s commitment to looking after future generations.”
As well as creating a welcoming and dynamic environment for the juniors to hone their skills, Erskine is hoping the new facility will bolster the club’s already strong community feel.
“The additional benefit to Dumfries & County is that it links with our ladies’ and introductory membership programmes and offers our members a fantastic facility into the mix,” he added. “Golf clubs are very fixed in their approach to membership and the creation of such a facility will allow the club to become more diverse, safeguarding the future of the club.
“The main objective is to create a club that is the centre of the local community and ensure long-term stability. All profits from the facility will be used to further enhance development programmes and create opportunities for both our junior and senior sections of the club.
“Who knows? We may create a few players that go on to the highest level in the process too. But we feel the need to equip many young golfers with the gift of golf and ensure that they remain members in the future of whatever club they end up playing at.”
